The Most Important Thing
by LoveforPenandDerek
Summary: Morgan and Garcia. Haley's death makes them re-evalute their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

Note- Takes place following Season Five, episode eleven: Retaliation.

**The Most Important Thing**

**Chapter One**

"Good morning, princess." He had made sure he was hanging around the bullpen around the time she always came in.

"Hey there, Hot Stuff," she said as she kept walking.

He would have preferred to hear: _I'll show you a good morning, Hot Stuff_. But he would certainly take the greeting she gave him. It was much better than the times she called him by his last name, almost as if he was just any old co-worker to her and not anyone special. He needed to feel special to Penelope.

Derek knew he sometimes called her Garcia too. It wasn't said to make her feel bad. It was when he was tense about work or had dark thoughts in his head. No matter what he was calling her deep down inside she was his baby girl.

He rose off the desk he had been sitting on and walked right into her path. "Pump those brakes. You got a minute for me?"

"For you, sugar? I got all day and all night. I do hope you aren't teasing me this time."

"But teasing you is so much fun, baby girl."

Baby girl.

Just saying the words again made him feel better. He had tried to keep them out of his mouth while he was acting unit chief. It wasn't easy and sometimes he slipped. But he wanted to be a professional and he wanted to do Hotch proud.

After Haley died Derek spent a few miserable, completely sleepless nights and long, coffee fueled days when he thought about his life and the emptiness inside of him. Before then he had told Tamara that she was helping to bring him back to life.

What he didn't tell her was why he felt half dead. And he didn't tell her why he was moving so slow with them. Taking a half step toward her and then shutting down for weeks. Making a call out of no where and showing up at her door in the middle of the night. Then not seeing her again till he was lonely and broken another time. Till he was missing Penelope and he needed to feel like some woman wanted him.

He hadn't even slept with Tamara and now he was glad for that. Because Haley dying had woken him up to a few things. He couldn't spend his life like he had doing these last few months. He couldn't put distance between him and Penelope for anything- not the job, not to protect his heart, not even to do right by her because she had Lynch.

He needed her. She was the one woman who he couldn't do without. The phrase _baby girl _was the salve for his weary and battered soul.

He had to call her that nickname. He had to flirt with her. He had to smile when she walked into a room. He had to hold her close and just take the warmth she offered.

Life was short and getting shorter every day. It was time to make sure his baby girl knew just how much she did to make his world a better place.

Because if he should be the next one to die he didn't want her to not even be able to remember the last time he called her baby girl.

She flirted with him "But teasing can only satisfy for so long until a woman needs something a little more substantial to get her through the night."

He couldn't help but smile and chuckle, feeling like he was finding himself again after way too long of wondering who the hell he was turning into. "Baby, any night you want."

Her eyes lit up and her red painted lips pursed. "Mmm, I shall let you know, my love. Await my call." She walked off to get coffee while he watched her leave, a huge grin on his lips.

This was a good start to his day but he had much more in mind for her. For them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Penelope slipped into her office with a smile on her lips. She started up her babies and sipped her coffee while she waited for her computers to load.

She told herself _You are so easy for him to wrap around his little finger_.

There was no malice in her tone as she thought that. It was more like a dreamy tone that was relieved to realize how quickly they could get back all that she had feared they lost. As soon as he started calling her baby girl again she felt warmth infuse into her and her walls started to crumble for him.

Then Haley died.

After that she was wreck. She ached for Derek to wrap his arms around her and make the pain stop. She could see on his face how lost he was. But he didn't reach for her in those first few awful days.

She clung to Lynch but he couldn't soothe her like she needed. She lay awake at night until she fell into fitful, short bouts of sleep with Lynch next to her. While she was awake she would think about the team, all the things they went through together and all the pain they were feeling now. And she asked herself over and over "What could we have done different so we didn't feel this emptiness now?"

For her the answer was simple. She should have simply told Derek "I met someone at a coffee shop and he asked me out but I said no.....because he's not you. I'm waiting for you, Hot Stuff." Then she could have walked away and left it up to him to decide if she was joking or serious. If he wanted her or not.

At least by now she would have her answer. Instead she had confusion. He was so good to her after Battle tried to murder her. He kept her alive, defended her, protected her, soothed her fears and chased away her demons. He was the noir hero she always called him- come to life. She knew he had never been all that to any other woman and that it was emotionally making him raw to be so exposed for her. She kept wanting him to just go home so he wouldn't worry about her and she wouldn't feel vulnerable. But he stuck around for weeks, nursing her back to health and living at her apartment.

All the while she had already met Lynch. He was sending her e-mails, coming on to her. And she fell for him.

Really she was running from her feelings for Derek and she knew it. But she couldn't stop herself. She made up reasons why her and Derek would never work: the frat rules, he's a player, the team might be affected and lives depended on them, they would only be a fling and it wasn't worth that, their friendship might be ruined. Excuse after excuse to keep her from what she wanted most.

Haley's final words killed all Penelope's excuses.

Within a week of the funeral she ended things with Lynch. Now it was a few weeks later and she was back to flirting with Derek. Back where she started. Back to the only place that felt right.

And this time she was going to find the nerve to take them all the way. Picking up her phone she called his cell.

He answered by saying "Can't get enough of me, can you, baby girl?"

"Never, my love. I only want you more with each passing moment. How about we do lunch today? Your place or mine?"

"Mine. I like home field advantage. I think I'll need it with a sexy Goddess like you."

"You don't think you can handle me? I'm so disappointed. I suppose you are getting on in years now."

"Bite you tongue, woman."

She smiled and said, in a very throaty tone, "See you in a few hours, baby."

His voice dropped to a very sexy growl. "Counting the minutes, sweetheart." Click.

Penelope raised an eyebrow. Her body was on fire from that one comment. He actually sounded quite turned on when he said it.

Her mind flooded with reasons why she was overreacting and imagining that he was being a little more serious than usual. Then she told herself, in a firm tone, _Stop it! You want him to be serious so what is the harm in believing, if only for a few hours till lunch, that he is?_

No harm at all. She smiled and got down to work.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for reading this story. It has five chapters to it.

**The Most Important Thing**

**Chapter Two**

Derek could barely concentrate on his paperwork all morning. His mind kept going over his conversation with Penelope.

There was something extra in her voice. Something more serious. Something more real.

It was as if she was letting down her gaurd for him again. Like she used to before Battle came into their lives and nearly destroyed them. At first Derek and Penelope were closer than ever, in the first weeks of her recovery, but eventually he learned she was with Lynch and the distance started to form between them.

Slowly they lost each other and there were only rare moments when he felt truly alive after that. When that ambulance exploded in New York was one of them. He was still breathing and he loved her like crazy right then. Nothing was wrong with them. Everything was just right.

But then the adrenaline left his body and he remembered the truth.

She had a man in her bed. His baby girl wasn't free and she may never be again. The depression over that was something that shocked him. He had already been fighting the demons that cropped up after he was forced, a couple years before, to talk about being abused as a kid. Since that day in Chicago when all his biggest secrets were revealed he had tried to keep the pain all locked inside but hit after hit kept coming. Elle getting shot, Gideon leaving, Reid and Prentiss becoming hostages. It was all adding up. The nightmares lasted way longer than the actual events.

He smiled as much as he could but it was getting way harder here lately. Till today. His baby girl seemed like the woman he used to know again.

She wasn't hiding a thing from him when they flirted and she wasn't holding back. She wasn't running scared and she wasn't searching his eyes to find out if he was with Tamara. Being a profiler Derek felt helped him to know women better. And to know what was going through Penelope's mind even when she refused to say it.

That was one reason he hurt so bad when she got with Lynch. He knew it was because she didn't trust him to be her man. She thought he was just a player and he wasn't worth the risk.

He tried to swallow that down but it was a bitter pill. If any other woman thought that about him he wouldn't care. He'd tell her she was right. But not Penelope. She was supposed to know him better. Know he would always be good to her. Know he would push past his own fears for her, if she just gave him the chance.

The first few years that they knew each other he thought she was doing that. She was waiting on him to be ready to settle down. Back then he was so much cockier and she only made him more so. She fed his ego till it was out of control. Made him feel so sure of himself.

Till the day she yelled at him and said she didn't think he'd cross a room to hit on her. He was shocked. It was her fear talking. He tried to convince her otherwise and asked her to go out to dinner with him. She wasn't hearing him at that point and turned him down. Everything that had been building for years really hit him in the face around that time. She met some other guy and was going for him. Giving up on them. He deserved it and he knew it.

That started a long decline for them. But today seemed like it was the start of them getting back all they lost.

This time it was Derek's turn to wait for Penelope- until she was free of Lynch. And he planned to wait for her without any other woman in his bed.

He hadn't been able to sleep with Tamara for reason. She wasn't his baby girl. Imitations were not gonna be enough anymore. He needed the real thing now.

His sweet, sexy, funny, perfect Goddess.

"Morgan," JJ said as she stuck her head into his office.

He jerked to attention. "Don't tell me there's a new case."

"No.....you okay?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"We're all having lunch together today. You in?"

"Sorry. I got plans."

"Oh, come on. Hotch and Garcia already bailed. You too?"

"Sorry. Next time."

"All right. You sure you're okay?"

"Never been better." He smiled at her. She nodded and left.

There was no way he was letting his lunch date with Penelope be taken over by the team and turned into a group thing. That would not get him any closer to getting Lynch out of Penelope's bed and him in.

And from now on Derek was not doing anything, in his off time, but working toward that goal. The wait might be long but he had nothing but time now. Even if life was short he planned to spend his pursuing his baby girl.

XXXXXXXXX

She didn't think she was imagining the possessive and sexually charged look Derek gave her when they met at the elevators for lunch. "You ready, sexy mama?"

"For you? I've been ready." Which really wasn't true but she smiled brightly at him anyway. She was ready now. And when she got nervous she reminded herself of Haley.

There was no more time to waste. She had to push past her fears and doubts and insecurities. She wanted to see if Derek could be the man she wanted him to be. If he was still interested like he had been before.

For the first few years that they knew each other she had waffled back and forth on them: _He wants me, he doesn't want me; He loves me, he loves me not; I'll wait for him, I'm moving on._

Until Battle came along and she got stars in her eyes. Maybe she could be wanted by someone sexy and maybe Derek would just have to regret losing her. Regret spending all his nights with nameless women who didn't mean anything when morning came.

But Battle was not who she thought he was at all. She felt so humiliated and utterly terrified all at once. But Derek was there to build her back up. And then he went even farther. Then he went where she had wanted him to go for years. He said he loved her. She wanted that love so bad. No matter if it was romantic or not. She told herself it wasn't but deep in her heart she knew it was.

He treated her different than he treated any other woman on earth. That had to mean something, even when dealing with a player like The Derek Morgan.

What Penelope had wanted for years was right in front of her then but she didn't reach out and take it. She ran from it instead. Lynch was a good boyfriend in some ways but he just couldn't touch the depths of her soul like Derek did.

Without having ever kissed Derek she already knew she was hotter for him than she ever was Lynch. That's why she could not regret dumping Lynch and pursuing Derek now.

Her best buddy might not know he was getting the Penelope Garcia full court press but he soon would, if he didn't already. His dark and turned on eyes said he had more than a clue.

What could she expect? He was a profiler after all.

Now all she needed was for her nerves to hold out long enough to get them over the line. Then it would all be up to him. If he still wanted them and if it felt right to him now, without anyone's life on the line, then they would try to be together.

She was ready. Whenever she doubted that, and the voices in her head told her he'd never want to be with her, she remembered Haley talking to Hotch as Foyet held her hostage.

And Penelope told herself _Derek is the man I want to give my love. I have to go for this. Life is too short to waste anymore of it._

XXXXXXXXXX

When they got to the parking garage he said "Lets take my truck."

"That's fine, baby. Where to?"

"I'd take you home with me like we talked about, Goddess, but we do have to get back to work in an hour. And I'd need so much more than an hour to show you what you've been missing all these years."

They walked toward his truck. She flirted "Are you sure you have it in you? You haven't wasted all your best years on your horde of admirers, have you? There's something left for your number one baby girl?"

"You're my only baby girl," he said, his tone filled with sex. "And don't you ever forget that."

He opened the door for her and she got in. Derek touched her knee, covering it with his large, warm hand and added "Thanks for agreeing to lunch, baby. I missed spending time with you like this."He kissed her cheek, then walked to his side of the car and got in. Starting it up he said "The diner?"

"Works for me, my love. Anywhere is fine as long as you're with me."


	3. Chapter 3

**The Most Important Thing**

**Chapter Three**

"So tell me, my love, is all well with you?" Penelope asked as they ate lunch. "I know its been a rather rough patch for me as of late....you too?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah. The last few months have been tough. The last month, especially. I feel for Hotch in the worse way. No one should lose someone like that." He shook his head and dropped his eyes. "I keep thinking..."

"Me too."

His eyes raised. His hand covered hers, as it rested on the table. "I picture myself in his position and it keeps me up nights."

Her eyes filled with concern. "You need your rest."

"How are you sleeping lately?"

"Oh, you know, I do all right. Thoughts of you haunt me nightly as I long for your chocolate Adonis body in my bed but I manage okay."

He grinned. He couldn't help it. She did things to him. Put images in his head and made his heart sing, even when he was at his worse. "You don't need to long for anything. I'm one speed dial away, baby girl."

She smiled back at him. And then she tapped a red painted nail on the table. "And I am good with my fingers."

"That you are, my girl."

Their eyes held and danced with teasing. They finished up their lunch, still laughing and joking, and left the diner. As Derek opened the door of his truck for her he said "Lets make this a regular thing."

"What's that, my love? Sneaking away together?"

"Exactly, baby. I like having you all to myself. How about we have a standing date for lunch- just you and me- when I'm in town?"

"You do know it won't be long till I'm having my way with you every lunch hour, right? You sure you want to play with that kind of fire?"

"That's just the kind of fire I would love to get scorched by. You know I'm a thrill seeker, sweetheart."

Sharing a smile he closed her door, walked around and got in the driver's seat. He grinned at her as he started the truck.

Her heart soared. Everything was going just how she dreamed it would. They were finding their way back to each other.

Maybe their time hadn't passed yet. Maybe there was enough life left for them to find their way to a place they had only dreamed about being before now.

XXXXXXXXXXX

A week of lunches led to Derek being in a great mood. That was until Friday rolled around and Emily came walking into work, right after lunch, with Tamara Barnes with her.

Emily grinned at Derek, who was standing next to Penelope and Reid in the bullpen. Emily said "Look who I found downstairs. I think I figured out your secret, Morgan. You dog."

He stilled. He could feel Penelope go completely stiff next to him. He longed to place his hands on her back and whisper "She's nothing to me, baby," but he couldn't risk Tamara hearing him.

She was a nice woman. Even if he used her just to make himself feel better. That was on him. Not her.

Clearing his throat he walked toward Tamara. "Hey, what brings you here?"

Her face was pinched. "You've been ignoring my calls."

"Sorry. Work has been crazy." That wasn't true and his co-workers knew it. They actually hadn't been out on a case all week. "You know how it is. Lets step into an office to talk in private."

They didn't see each other often or talk often, even when he was thinking of dating her, so he had hoped that she would just take a hint, when he didn't call back, and move on. Obviously she was hurt and wanted to let him know.

He tried to take Tamara's arm but she jerked it away. "I don't want to talk to you! I just want my brother's cross back. You're not who I thought you were at all. You just abandoned our friendship and all we were to each other like it was nothing."

"I'm sorry. I should have explained."

"Just give me the necklace so I can go."

"Its not here. But I'll send it to you. I am sorry. Its just that...I can't be who you want. I never should have let you believe I could."

Her eyes were filled with hurt when she spat out "Damn right you shouldn't have!" then she turned and left.

The look she gave him was nothing compared to when he turned around and looked into Penelope's dark and pain filled brown eyes. "Sweetheart..."

"Don't!"she cried, throwing up her hand and walking away.

Reid flinched and Emily said "I'm sorry, Morgan. I thought she was the reason you were so happy lately."

"Its not your fault. This is all on me," Derek said, before he walked away.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Penelope felt hot tears burn her eyes as she slipped into her computer lab. It wasn't that Derek had a woman in his life. He usually did and if he didn't then he could find one at the drop of a hat. That was nothing new.

It was that it was_ this _woman. Someone who they fought about and who he kept a secret from her. She had a bad feeling all along that he was sneaking around with Tamara but every time she asked he said he wasn't involved with her.

And now Penelope had to learn that was complete bullshit. And that necklace she questioned him about was probably the necklace that woman...a victim's sister....was going on about. How the hell could Derek sink so low as to behave this way?

She sat down in front of her computers and let out a cleansing breath. It would be hard to concentrate on work but she was a professional so she would do it.

There would be plenty of time to cry later over how Derek kept so much from her in the last few months. It made her question if she was a damn fool for believing they had been dating this last week.

He would probably laugh if she told him that one. Dating? Yeah right. She was just the woman he used to build up his ego.

Well. No more.

If he couldn't respect her and tell her the truth, even when it was hard and not what she wanted to hear, then they didn't really have anything between them at all.

Thinking that she broke down and cried.

Rossi came walking in. "Garcia, do you have a moment to run a name for me?"

She startled and wiped her eyes. "Sure! What is it?"

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Tell me the name."

"James Shultz. D.O.B. June 5th 1954."

"I'm on it."

"You know I've never been a fan of the frat rules."

"No?"

"Life's too short to make rules up to stop people from loving who they want. Everyone around here is an adult. Sure it gets messy. But messy is real right?"

"Right."

"I've certainly broken my fair share of frat rules in my day. And I always got my job done just as good as I would have otherwise."

"Good to know. I've got your unsub. He lives in the area."

"Oh that's not an unsub. He's an old college buddy of mine. I thought I'd look him up and get a beer with him later. You gonna see Morgan tonight?"

"Morgan? Why would I?"

"So you can stop crying as you type."

"Seeing him won't help that."

"You never know unless you try." He wrote down the address and phone number and then said "Remember you don't get a second chance to do it all over again. Life isn't a dress rehearsal. You only regret what you never do, not what you do but screw up royally. That kind of stuff makes the best stories to tell in a bar thirty years down the road. Like I will be tonight. Take care, Garcia, and," he picked a tissue out of a kleenex box "here you go."

"Thanks." She blew her nose as he left the room.

XXXXXXXXX

Derek waited till the end of the day to go to Penelope's office. He wanted to let her cool down. But he had sent her a text message: _Don't lose your faith, baby girl._

She didn't respond back.

Hours went by and it was finally time to go home so he headed into the computer lab. It was empty. She had ducked out already.

Derek headed over to her house and was relieved when he saw Esther parked on the street in front of the apartment building. He went and knocked on her door.

When she opened it he said "I'm a jerk and a total asshole."

"Yes, you are all that and more." She glared at him. Her eyes looked red rimmed. That tore at his heart.

He had wanted to bring her out of her darkness, just like he wanted her to do that for him, but now he was plunging her deeper into it.

"Is Kevin here?"

She let out a frustrated breath. "No but that doesn't mean you're coming in."

"Just for a few minutes, baby girl, and if you don't like what I have to say you can kick me out."

"You had your chance to say something about her for months now! Its too late! The fact that you could keep something like this from me, on purpose, when you knew how I felt about what you were doing says it ALL! There is nothing else for us to say, Agent Morgan, so if you will kindly leave my premises so I can get on with the start of my life without you and your games in it-"

He hissed, in a painful whisper, "Your life without me? Did you just say that to me, woman?"

Her eyes went wide.

He went on "This is your notice," he added in a pissed off tone "you can't get rid of me no matter what or who you do. I'm here to stay. So you take that thought to bed with you each night with Lynch. I will wait out your anger and your hurt. I will apologize a thousand times and explain myself the first chance you let me have, when your hard head isn't making it so you can't hear me. But what I will never do is let you start a life without me. You were gonna let me do that when I was thinking about moving to New York. That is what says it ALL. You act like you don't need me half as much as I need you." He let out a short breath."You're wrong. Because if you're not then my life just lost whatever meaning it had left in it."

Derek walked down the hall and down the stairs without looking back as Penelope stood there shivering, with goosebumps forming on her goosebumps after his declaration of love.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Most Important Thing**

**Chapter Four**

Most of the weekend passed with Penelope puttering around her house and thinking about what Derek had said. She was still hurt and emotionally rubbed raw by all that happened.

It felt like she was lifted so high and then dropped hard to the ground.

She was angry at Derek because it didn't have to be this way. All he had to do was tell her the truth about Tamara.

Sometime in the middle of the day Sunday Penelope admitted to herself that she knew why Derek hadn't done that. It was his way to protect himself.

If he told her what was going on- whatever it was- then they would fight and he would feel like they were even further apart than ever. The distance that was between them over the last few months was a scary thing for Penelope to face. She could only imagine it was the same for him. He didn't want to make it worse.

She was most pissed that he hadn't stayed away from Tamara when she told him what a bad idea it was. She wanted to have the kind of pull with him where he would take her word on something like that, even if it contradicted his own feelings. But that was asking for too much. She couldn't pick his girlfriends or booty calls or whatever that woman had been to him.

Most of all she just wanted honesty between them. To look in his eyes and know he was right there with her. That he was all in with her now. That she could count on him to be loyal and true. She believed the best in him always. She knew he could give her all she needed.

But she had to let him try.

He didn't even know Lynch was her ex. She was holding that back to protect herself and keep a little bit of a wall between them.

If she wanted this man she had to be brave. With thoughts in her mind of Haley she got dressed, did her hair and make up and then headed to her best friend's house to seduce him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Derek was walking Clooney and talking to him. "She'll come around, boy, don't you think? I mean this woman loves me and she's not going to give up on us over one little fight. She's way too strong for that. She'll get rid of Lynch and she'll forgive me and we'll be okay. She knows how short life is now. She won't throw us away, right, boy?"

He didn't care about people staring at him as he talked to his dog. He just smiled back at them and wagged his eyebrows.

He had to talk to someone about this and Clooney was the only one around at the moment. He had listened to plenty of Derek's talking over the years- about work, Penelope, other women, his family and his worries.

That dog was a great friend to Derek when he needed one.

By the time Derek got back to his house he was feeling a little better, which became a lot better when he noticed Penelope's car parked in front of his place. He jogged up to the door, unlocked it and let Clooney in.

The dog ran straight to her.

Derek closed and locked the door, chucked off his coat and gloves, and walked fully into the living room. His eyes took her in. She was standing near the couch wearing a green dress that hugged all her curves. Her hair was in soft curls. She looked like she was dressed for a date.

"Penelope." He cleared his throat. "Uh....am I forgiven, baby girl? Are we good again?"

"If only it was that easy, my love. I want some answers out of you."

"Okay. Well you know how it all started with Tamara-"

"Not about her. About us."

He stared at her for a long moment and then walked closer. "Tell me something, baby girl. Is that dress you're wearing for Lynch or for me? Cause you're looking way too fine for that geek."

"Hey!" She smiled. "Do not make fun of the geeks. We can be a vengeful bunch."

"Sorry, baby. All I'm saying is that I don't want you leaving here to go off to see him in that dress. That dress should be for my eyes only."

"Look and drool, my love. This could all be yours if you play your cards right."

Derek grinned. "I thought you want me and my games out of your life? Have you changed your hard head around on that idea?"

"That was said in haste at a very emotional moment when I was sure you sucked worse than any man ever sucked in the history of hot hunks who have broken women's hearts. But then I thought about it a little and decided that even if you do suck....I love you anyway."

Tenderness filled his eyes. He titled his head to the side and murmured "Sweetheart, get over here."

Slowly she made her way toward him. He couldn't wait. He reached out and pulled her flush to him.

Penelope said "Just so you know you and I have been dating for a week now."

"Oh yeah?"

"I dumped Lynch for you....after Haley's funeral."

"You're just getting around to telling me that?" he asked with a wide smile. "Woman, what took you so long?"

"I was just being scared and silly."

"You are my silly girl. But you need to be honest with me about what's going on with you from now on. Especially when it comes to us."

"You too, handsome. You better never hold out on me like you have the last few months again. I need to be the one person you tell everything to. Even the sucky stuff that makes you look like a jerk."

"You got it, sexy mama. Though you don't got to worry about any other women. Don't even go there in your head. I've wanted you....for so long...and I plan to make it so you want me for so long right back. So long that you forget what its like to be anyone's woman but mine."

She smiled brightly and taunted "All talk."

He grinned, grabbed her face and gave her one soft, sweet kiss and then several long, hard, tongue exploring ones that made her gasp for air in between them.

Their cell phones went off. They had another case.

Derek groaned and spit out a curse word. "Freaking unsubs. They can't give us this one night?"

"There will be plenty of nights for us, Hot Stuff. Right now you have to go be a super hero."

He gave her another kiss. "You know I love you with every single piece of me, right?"

"I love you just as much.....and thank you for saying it first....two years ago and two days ago and thank you for calling me Gomez and baby girl and all the flirting and even seeing me that way, then and now."

"Don't thank me, woman. I should thank you for making my life worthwile."

Their phones kept going off. Derek groaned and kissed her lips again. "We'll pick this up later, sweetheart. Come on. We got to get into work."

Holding hands they headed out the door. He kept laying kisses on her neck as she locked up his house. They chuckled and shared more kisses before their cells went off again.

Derek answered "Yeah?.....I'm on my way. I was in the shower....yeah, alone. See you in twenty." He hung up and told Penelope. "They're gonna be on to us in five seconds flat."

"Darling, they've been on to us for years now." She winked at him and went to her car. Then she blew him a kiss before she got inside.

He stood there like a love sick fool and totally didn't care if there were unsubs somewhere he was supposed to be catching. He just cared about the woman who had just made his life make sense again.

Couldn't a man get a few minutes to just bask in all that?


	5. Chapter 5

**The Most Important Thing**

**Chapter Five**

The case took them out of town for a few days. Derek and Penelope had to get by with just phone calls. The team caught on to the change in their relationship- mainly because of Derek's tone when he spoke to her, it was filled with love that he couldn't hide- but nothing was said beyond some gentle teasing from JJ.

Hotch pretended he didn't know and Rossi smiled like he put the whole thing in motion all on his own.

The funniest moment was when they were going home on the plane, days after the rest of the team knew, and Derek said something about having a hot date that night. That's when Reid raised an eyebrow and asked "Its Garcia, right?" He was being completely serious and hadn't realized that they all knew already.

The rest of the team laughed, rolled their eyes and JJ said "Duh!"

"What?" Reid asked "Is this common knowledge? Why am I the last to know?"

Derek joked with him "Kid, it's a secret. I don't want it getting around that I'm a one woman man now. Its not good for my reputation."

"For a perceptive person," Reid said "it will be easy to tell without anyone saying a word. Its all in your body language. You're more at ease now than you have been....since I met you, huh. Interesting. Garcia has already had a marked affect on you. She works fast."

Emily shook her head at that one. "You think they've been going fast? I've seen turtles in wheelchairs hook up faster."

Derek chuckled. "Enough! This topic is off limits to all you busy bodies." He put on his head phones. A smile graced his lips as he thought about his baby girl and how he would be home to her soon.

(The miles are getting longer, it seems,

the closer I get to you.

I've not always been the best man

or friend for you

but your love it makes true.

And I don't why.

You always seem to give me another try.) (Daughtry)

XXXXXXXXX

Derek walked into her computer lab and found a note on her keyboard.

_Hot Stuff,_

_I'll give you home court advantage. But if you make me wait too long I'll start without you._

_Your,_

_Silly Girl._

He laughed and hurried to leave the building, nearly knocking over Hotch.

"Morgan."

"Yeah."

"Have a good three days off."

"We're getting time off?"

"You and Garcia are, yes."

"Thanks, Hotch."

"For what? Its just well earned vacation days. Good night."

"Night." Derek nearly ran out of the BAU, onto the elevator and out of the building. He called Penelope and left her a phone message "Hey, sexy mama. I'm on my way home. Why don't you look up gorgeous goddess on that lap top of yours because I'm sure you'll find a picture of yourself. You are amazing, woman! Don't you get started without me or you'll earn yourself quite the spanking."

(So I'm going home.

Back to the place where I belong.

Where you're love

has always been enough for me.

Not running from,

no, I think you got me all wrong.

I don't regret this life you choose for me.

But this places and these faces are getting old.

So I'm going home.) (Daughtry)

XXXXXXXXX

Penelope was dressed in a black and pink nightie she had bought that day for this occasion. Her nerves were on high alert as she sat on his couch with a glass of wine.

A black silk robe, that ended at her knees, was over the nightie.

She let out short breaths as she waited for Derek to get there. When she finally heard his key in the lock she bounded to her feet.

He came into the house quickly, calling out, "Baby girl...oh, hey there, sweetness.....wow. Let me see you."

She undid the belt of the robe and slipped it off.

Derek motioned for her to do a turn, which she did.

He whistled in appreciation. "Woman, this just may kill me but it will be one hell of a way to go."

"I'll stop short of killing you. I want you around too bad for that. Don't worry though, my love, it will still be an amazing, sensual, mind blowing night that will leave you too exhausted to move for days."

He stalked toward her, pulled her against him, and said "After tonight you're mine for every second of the rest of our lives, do you understand me?"

She swallowed hard, completely stunned. "Derek...."

He gave her a short kiss. "I love you, baby, and I won't ever give you up."

He picked her up and she squealed. Her stifled that sound by kissing her and then carried her to the bed room. Setting her down he started to give her tender kisses, moaning as he did so, while she unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off. Next came his undershirt.

Then he started to kiss down her neck and throat.

She threw her head back, as her hands held the back of his head, and whispered "Oh my God, Derek, I can hardly believe this is really happening. Pinch me!"

He whispered in her ear, as he picked her up and put her on the bed, following her down, "I'm gonna do so much more than pinch you, silly girl. You ready?"

She nodded and their lips found each other again.

XXXXXXXXX

Laying curled up together later, both their bodies completely flushed and satiated, Penelope made her mouth into an O shape and then breathed out "Wow....I had no idea sex could be....like that."

Derek gave her another kiss. "News to me too."

"Yeah right! Very funny, Hot Stuff. You're gonna get a spanking from me if you tease me anymore right now." She kissed him.

He smoothed back her hair and stared into her eyes. "You floor me, Penelope. I've never felt like this before."

She said "Me either. That was amazing. You've ruined me for geeks forever. After a stud like you they just wouldn't compare."

"Baby, you better wrap your mind around being mine and all mine cause I need that."

She got serious and kissed him. "Okay. I'm 100 percent yours from now until my dying breath."

He gave a long kiss to show how much he liked that idea.

When she broke away she whispered "But if you freak out later about being in an honest to God committed relationship then that's on you, my love, because you pushed for this....I'm cool with whatever...we could just see where it goes."

"Well I'm not cool with that idea at all. I know where I want this to go. I want everything. You're my baby girl and I need you right here...in my bed..."he placed her hand on his heart "and owning my heart. Carve your initials there. This is yours now. Not that it hasn't been for years already."

Tears welled in her eyes and slid down her face. He kissed her tears and then her lips as he pushed it onto her back, slid inside of her and made love to her again.

Cool with whatever? That was silly talk! Derek had finally crossed the line with Penelope and there was no going back now. He wanted a lifetime of being with her. She was the woman who healed his heart, his soul, his mind and she was the best part of his day every day for years.

There were no doubts in his mind. Love was the most important thing and he had love with her.

As he moved in her he whispered "Love you, baby girl. You're my heart and soul and solace.....never stop loving me, baby, never....always love me, Penelope. Always. Promise me, baby?"

"Promise."

He didn't have to ask her to do that. Because she already had fallen way too deep and way too hard to do anything else.

But it was nice to hear her say it aloud.

THE END


End file.
